Abstract
A simultaneous increase in crop yield and improvement of soil health are key challenges of cropping intensification under rice-based cropping systems. A long-term experiment was commenced in 2007 at Gazipur, Bangladesh to determine nutrient management strategies that sustain soil fertility, increase cropping system productivity and overcome agronomic and soil constraints for successful crop production in a rice-based triple cropping system on a Grey Terrace soil.After 11 years of cropping under organic amended nutrient application, the soil organic matter (SOM) stocks (0-15 cm) increased by 6.3 tonnes ha-1 compared to initial SOM stock, while the control soil and the soils treated with only chemical fertilizers had decreased SOM (by 1.6 and 1.1 tonne ha-1, respectively). Most of the chemical properties of post-harvest soil were improved due to the incorporation of organic manures through IPNS. The highest yield of crops and improved soil properties was associated with increased soil organic matter content in soils under the treatment.